Phi Theta Kappa is recognized as the official honor society for community colleges by the American Association of Community Colleges.

Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation Increases Leaders of Promise Support to $200,000

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Jackson, MS - The Phi Theta Kappa Foundation is pleased to announce that the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation will be increasing their support of the Society’s Leaders of Promise program from $150,000 to $200,000. The expanded funding will allow Phi Theta Kappa to award over 200 scholarships of $1,000 each and impact 50 additional Phi Theta Kappa members annually, including members of the military and veterans.

Twenty-five of the additional scholarships, a total of $25,000, will be earmarked for Society members who are active personnel or veterans of the U.S. military. J. Mark Davis, President of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, said their organization feels strongly about supporting active-duty service members and veterans in their educational quest.

In 2013 the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation teamed up with broadcast legend Tom Brokaw to provide one $5,000 scholarship to a returning military veteran or active-duty service member in a discipline of his/her choice at 10 designated community colleges.

Heather Johnson, Phi Theta Kappa’s Director of Scholarship Programs, said the application process for Leaders of Promise scholarships will remain the same, with active-duty personnel and veterans being asked to answer one additional question and provide proof of current military duty or a copy of separation papers.

Beyond the 200 awards, additional scholarships will be provided to international students through the Phi Theta Kappa Global Leaders of Promise Scholarship fund.

The new scholarships will be available during Phi Theta Kappa’s Spring Common Application period, open from February 3 through April 30. Application information is available at ptk.org/become-a-member/scholarships.

“This increase of $50,000 for our Leaders of Promise program indicates the confidence the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation has in us to reach and impact more community college students through scholarships,” said Dr. Nancy Rieves, CEO of the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation, citing the long and productive partnership between Phi Theta Kappa and the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation.

The Leaders of Promise Scholarships were established by Phi Theta Kappa in 2001 as part of the Society’s long-range plan to provide financial support to members still enrolled in community colleges. Scholarship recipients are chosen for academic achievement and leadership potential, which they fulfill by engaging in college and community service.

In 2010 the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation announced they would provide $150,000 in additional support, allowing Phi Theta Kappa to increase annually the number of $1,000 Leaders of Promise scholarships from the 30 that Phi Theta Kappa were already awarding to 180.

“We soon recognized the impact that our awards were having for students at two-year colleges or those who were transferring to four-year campuses,” Davis said. “Seeing the success of so many students encouraged us to deepen our commitment.

“Community college students, and particularly Phi Theta Kappa members, inspire me because of their aspirations — to learn more, do more, be more and make a better community for us all.”

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation has supported the New Century Scholars Program, the Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team Program and the Leaders of Promise with an annual commitment of more than $400,000 in scholarships and stipends. To date, they have awarded more than $5 million to nearly 5,000 two-year college students. Visit coca-colascholars.org for more information.

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi, is the largest honor society in higher education with 1,285 chapters on college campuses in all 50 of the United States, plus Canada, Germany, the Republic of Palau, Peru, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the British Virgin Islands, the United Arab Emirates and U.S. territorial possessions. More than 2.5 million students have been inducted since its founding in 1918, with approximately 135,000 students inducted annually.